Theodore Wright was an active member of the Cleveland Fire Department and had been a firefighter for 32 years

CLEVELAND -- Cleveland Police Chief Calvin Williams has confirmed an off-duty firefighter has died after a one-vehicle crash overnight on the East Side.

According to police, Theodore J. Wright Jr. was in a pickup truck headed westbound on Claasen Avenue near East 71st Street around 3 a,m. when he lost control and hit a utility pole. The pick-up truck overturned and Wright was pronounced dead at the scene.

The crash remains under investigation. High ranking sources within the Cleveland Fire Department, however, have told WKYC they've heard that Wright was shot before the vehicle overturned. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner, however, is still determining the cause of death.

May 1, 2014: One person is dead following a fatal overnight crash on East 71st Street and Claasen Avenue.
WKYC-TV

According to the city, Wright was an active member of the Cleveland Fire Department and had been a firefighter for 32 years. Wright was assigned to Station No. 43.